Immobile B7 S4

Author
Discussion

CR6ZZ

Original Poster:

1,313 posts

145 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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Happened across a damsel in distress yesterday. She was driving a 2007 B7 A4 3.0 auto. She had pulled up at a set of lights and the car had died. She put it in park to restart and everything simply locked up. She was stuck in the middle lane with left and right turning lanes either side, so not a good place to be parked. I stopped to offer a hand, but there appeared to be nothing I could do that would get the thing out of park. Key worked and engine turned over, but would not start. All electrics seemed to be working, but electronic handbrake would not release. It was impossible for me to get into neutral so that I could at least roll it to the side of the road. I had a meeting to go to, so eventually left her there with the AA (roadside rescue) on the way. In the unlikely event that I should ever come across such a scenario ever again, how is one supposed to move a car locked up like that? The AA or someone was obviously able to move it as it was gone when I went back that way 2 hours later. Anyone come across a similar scenario?

PapaJohns

1,064 posts

153 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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Handbrake fuse maybe?

Craig

1,181 posts

284 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
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Never heard of a B7 S4 3.0 auto with electronic handbrake?? confused

Was it a B8?

Tame Technician

2,467 posts

204 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
If its really bad you get the full set, (1) hand brake jammed on, (2) car jammed in park, (3) electronic steering column lock jammed locked.

These cases require the AA to put sliders under the wheels and drag in onto a low loader.

They would then dump it at ours.

We would put go-jacks under the wheels and push it in.


There is an emergency procudure to get it out of park, its in the hand book, usually poking a plastic release with a pic or screw driver in the gear selector.
If you can get under the car, you can remove the park brake motors from the calipers and manually wind off the brakes, but if the steering is locked you are not going to be able to push it anywhere, so its normally proper recovery job.


As above it wont be a B7 A4, B8 or A6







lemonslap

962 posts

155 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Tame Technician said:
If its really bad you get the full set, (1) hand brake jammed on, (2) car jammed in park, (3) electronic steering column lock jammed locked.

These cases require the AA to put sliders under the wheels and drag in onto a low loader.

They would then dump it at ours.

We would put go-jacks under the wheels and push it in.


There is an emergency procudure to get it out of park, its in the hand book, usually poking a plastic release with a pic or screw driver in the gear selector.
If you can get under the car, you can remove the park brake motors from the calipers and manually wind off the brakes, but if the steering is locked you are not going to be able to push it anywhere, so its normally proper recovery job.


As above it wont be a B7 A4, B8 or A6
What causes this to happen TT?

CR6ZZ

Original Poster:

1,313 posts

145 months

Thursday 29th January 2015
quotequote all
Thanks for the response TT. That sounds exactly like what happened. Everything was locked up. Yes, it likely was a B8 - I didn't look that closely. Nice to know I wasn't just being dumb.

Dr G

15,175 posts

242 months

Friday 30th January 2015
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B8 chassis cars, particularly early ones have suffered some problems with ignition locks sticking. Not seen one that extreme though!